Mounting and adjusting means for vertical venetian blinds



ODOM, JR MOUNTING AND ADJUSTING MEANS FOR VERTICAL VENETIAN BLINDS Flled Aug 30, 1954 fig-2 Sept. 3, 1957 United States Patent y MOUNTING AND ADJUSTING MEANS FOR VERTICAL VENETIAN BLINDS William J. Odom, Jr., Torrance, Calif.

Application August 30, 1954, Serial No. 452,976

2 Claims. (Cl. 160-176) =My invention relates to improved means for mount ing and adjusting window blinds of the kind comprised of a number of strips extending in side by side relation across a window, the angle -of the strips with respect to the light coming through the 'window being simultaneously adjustable for all the strips.

lSuch blinds having the strips arranged vertically instead of horizontally as in the usual type of Venetian Iblinds have important advantages over the latter.

`Since the strips Vor slats do not have to maintain a horizontal position but hang vertically, they may be made of fabric. Also since the strips are :spaced vertically, the: usual window sash may -be readily raised and lowered byinserting the hand between adjacent strips. The shades may be made cheaply and are of lightweight as-comparedV to Venetian 4blinds which are not only more cumbersome:

but also much more complicated since they require sup-- porting tapes, which wear out, raising and lowering cords,

passing through openings in each slat, pulleys mounted.

ina head board, and a heavy bottom board strong enough to carry all the slats when the blind is fullyraised, the cords being also heavy enough to carry this weight of all the slats. Adjusting cords are also required to vary the inclination of the slats.

Standard Venetian blinds are also diicult to clean since their surfaces are interrupted by the supporting. tapes and raising cords as compared with the uninterrupted vertical surfaces `of the vertical sl-at ty-pe of blind to which my invention relates.

Because of the advantages enumerated, several Iforms ot the vertical .slat type of blind, hereinafter. referred toV asa.vertical` Venetian blind have been put onthe market butin general are somewhat complicated and consequently unnecessarily expensive and have other drawbacks.

Known types-of. vertical Venetian iblinds are generally. tted with adjusting. mechanism of considerable weight comprising mechanical elements of special type and subject to Wear Iwith consequent liability to faulty functioning;

yIt -isan object of `my invention to provide a vertical.

Venetian blind' with novel operating means lof simple andinexpensive design which may be readily fitted. to windows of either the sash or easement ty-pe, or on 'Frenche doors or half glass doors, and the like,the extreme sim-- 'Still another object of my invention is to provide a.

vertical Venetian blind which may be manufactured with little or no-specialtooling, andVv with very few tools,` so.

that the costl of manufactureis correspondingly low-and` the time spent per unit produced is very low.

Patented Sept. 3,E 1.951I

ICC

A. particular object. of. my inventionV istoprov-ide a vertical. Venetian. blind: of lsuch simple construction-that it may easily beinstalledy wherever requiredbyvthe. home owner himselfwiththeuse of ordinary household-tools..

Another objectofmy invention-is to provideua vertical Venetian. -blindin which vertical stripsoft suitable. material,.such as a glass-fiber. plastic, are simply pushed on or slid olf the partsfon which theyare mounted sothatcleaningl or replacement; of thestrips is. very easily-f effected.

Stillfurther objects and., features. of my invention-will hereinafter. appear. from astudyofthe-following;description read in conjunction with the.- accompanying draw.- ings` which illustrate.` embodiments of my; invention at present considered preferable by me,

-In thedrawings:

Figure l is aperspective. view showing the general-ar!- rangement ofQ-the. vertical Venetianfblindofmy inventionmounted-.in theframe of the usual type of windowr liavingvertically movablesashes.-

l drawn on alarger-scale.

Figure 3 isa: fragmentary detail showing: a holding device which may be incorporatedin Ian upper or lower1 framingmemher, Ior. both, in order to hold the strips in a closedposition.

Figure-.4 isaperspectiveview showing. the blind oft my., invention. mounted. on. avertically pivoted, or case-1 ment type window.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing how theverti" cal stripsof the blind are-mountedV on supporting-hooks.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view.` of a pivotedy arrange-f ment of mountingmeansfor` the blind-of myA inventiony which ena-blestheblind to -be swung-away fromfthewimydow facilitatingaccess thereto for-cleaning or repair of the window glass.

Referring now to-Figures 1 and-2, the numeral 10 indicates the lower sill., of a window frame in whichf sashesv 11. :and 12v are mounted. for vertical movement.V Lower panes 13 and upper panes 1'4 aremounted inthe' lower and Yupper sashes respectively.

The structure off the blind of my invention comprises identical upper and lower mounting members sothat'ra description of one `will applytothe other and thereforeonly the lower member,.shown in Figure 2, willbe described.

A lower mounting bar. 15,.. conveniently formed` from'. a length of, rectangular wooden rod 16, -is drilled atabout 3 inch intervals with 3A." holes laextending the lengthl of the bar which is long enough to extend across the width of the sash butterminates short of the sides of. the window opening by -adis-tance of about Zinches, at: least atv one end. Itch-Ould be notedthat dimensions-aregiven by way of illustrative example only, since, wide' variations in dimensions from those given-may be. made according to the specifi-c construction lofthewindow frame and the wishes of the owner, in constructing theshade..

The top of the rod,16 is-.covered .bya strip lsecured to-the rod in any suitable manner. The stripis drilled with holes co-axial with thev largery holes. 16a,`V andv of a diameter to be, a free it for the. vertical-blind stripfsupport hooks 18. The support hooks are formed from heavy gauge steel wire and are-ofidentical. form.' TheA hooks comprise a horizontal portion 19 slightly longer-` than the center to center distanceof holes 16a,` a vertical portion 20, a lower horizontalportion 21, somewhat: less than half the length of the upper horizontalrportion,,and

a lower vertical portion. 22. The lowervertical/portionsA 22 pass through coiled Vcompression springs 23,..the-upper,-

is mounted under compression between washer 24 and the under side of strip 17.

During the shaping operation of support hooks 18, an

adjusting member 26 formed as a rigid elongated strip is mounted .on the vertical portionV between the horizontal portions of the hooks, this'vertical portion passes through holes drilled in the strip 26 to freely t portion V20 of the hooks, the holes beingspaced to exactly correspond to the spacing of holes 16a in mounting member 15. The lower` mounting bar 15 may be securedto the sill Yas by screws 27. The upper mounting bar may be screwed to the top ofthe window frame. If desired the mounting bars `may be pivotally secured in position with respect to the window so that the whole blind may be swung outwardly fromthe window .glass to enable it to be cleaned asl easily, or more easily, than a window fitted with the usual types of blind, either roller or Venetian, since such blinds usually obstruct free access to the top of the window pane.

Means for mounting the bars 15 for pivotal movement whenrequired is shown by way of example in Figure 6 which? shows the blind on a Casement window. One end of each' mounting bar 15 (the upper bar being shown) is pivoted by pin 28 passing through a double arm bracket 29. The other end of each bar bears against a bracket 30 vprovided with an upturned lip 31. Brackets 29 and 30 are secured to the window frame. Since the springs 23 exert a. force on the mounting'bars 15` tending to move them toward one another, the free end of the bars will be effectively held in position by the lip 31 of brackets 30. AIt is to be understood that the upper mounting member is arranged similarly to the lower mounting with the suspending hooks facing those of the lower mounting member.

If it is desired to mount the blind for pivotal movement when 'positioned within the Window frame, one end of the upper and lower mounting members are pivotally held by the screws 27 while the opposite ends are held in any suitable manner as for instance by brackets or clips similar to brackets 30.

A transverse movement of the adjusting strip 26 will be effective to swing all the hooks mounted in a bar 15 to an equal amount. The movement permitted to the adjusting member is preferably such that the hooks may be rotated through 180 until the ends of the hooks abut against the upper vertical portions of the adjacent hooks.

PreferablyY a simple detent member 32 is provided in the lower rectangular rod 16 -by which the blind may be held in closed position. As shown in Figure 3 the detent member 32 may comprise a short length of wire with a vertical portion 33 and a horizontal portion 34 pivoted in a plug 35 of wood inserted in a bore 36 drilled part way through rod 16. The vertical portion 33 is joined by a loop 37 tothe horizontal portion 34. A coil spring 33 is arranged under tension between the inner face of plug 35 and a washer 39 seated on the inner end of the hori- Zontal portion 34 and positioned thereon by the pinched flat end of portion 34.

The support hooks 18 are vertical to the window pane, and the blind therefore fully open, when the adjusting strip 26 projects to a maximum extent outwardly of the mounting bar 15. When the blind is closed the adjusting member or strip 26V overlies the bar 15. When it is desired to hold the blindV in closed position the detent 32 is pulled outwardly and rotated so that the vertical portion 33 presses against the adjustment strip and holds it in position overlying bar 15. When it is desired to open the blind the vertical portion 33 is rotated downwardly so that the adjustment strip is free to be swung outwardly.

lIt is to be noted that there is suiiicient friction between the vertical portions 20 of the supporting hooks 18 and the adjustment strip to hold the blind in any open position, but the detent 32 ensures that the blind will not be inadvertently opened from closed position.

The vertical strips 40 of which the blind is comprised may be made from any suitable material but for ease of manufacture, lightness and general suitability I prefer to use a plastic impregnated glass fiber material.

The strips are cut to uniform length, the ends folded back a short distance and united to the body of the strip by merely pressing the inner edge of the fold with a hot iron. The strips may then be simply slipped over the long horizontall portion of the hooks, the tension of springs 23 holding the strips in taut condition.

It is pointed out that the resilient retention of the strip supporting hooks in the bars 15 by springs Z3 enables strips 4i) which might be slightly shorter or longer than the correct length to function perfectly and be held under adequate tension since the vertical portions of the supporting hooks are free to move upwardly or downwardly through the top of the bars 15 and in the adjusting Vstrips 26. i

While in order tocomply with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise a preferred form of putting the invention intoeiiect,

' and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modiiications Within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

Vl. In a vertical Venetian blind, provided with mounting and adjusting means having upper and lower mounting bars adapted to be secured across the top and bottom of the window, glass door and the like; an equalV number of strip-supporting members rotatably mounted in said mounting bars and strips of material supported between each upper and lower pair of strip supporting members, ystrip-supporting members comprising: a horizontal part, a first vertical portion, a reversely extending horizontal portion, and a second vertical portion extending into said mounting bars the portions of each supporting member constituting an integral unit insuring uniformity of movement of the strips; a separate axially vyieldable helical spring within said mounting bars associated with each strip-supporting member and effective to resiliently resist outward movement of each of said stripsup porting members as a whole from said bars while being effective to take up slight variations in the length of the strips of material; a rst rigid unitary adjusting member provided with Vholes to receive andv directly transmit movement to all the first vertical portions of the stripsupporting members mounted in the upper mounting bar; and a second rigid unitary adjusting member operable independently of the first rigid unitary adjusting member and provided with holes to receive and directly transmit movement to all the iirst vertical portions of the strip-supporting members mounted in the lower mounting bar, operation of said adjustment members being positively effective to rotate the strip-supporting members in the mounting bars, the adjustment members being narrower than the height of the first vertical'portions of the strip supporting members and unaffected by movement in ver tical direction of the vertical portions formed between the horizontal portions of the strip supporting members.

2. In a vertical Venetian blind, mounting and adjusting means as set forth in claim l and in addition comprising: a rigid adjustable member engageable against at least one of the rigid unitary adjusting members to hold the blind in closed position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bopp et al. Nov. 24. 

